Explore records, photographs, and stories from the people and places that shaped our community.
Search Our DatabaseWelcome to the Benton County Historical Society & Museum
Preserving the stories, artifacts, and heritage of Benton County, Minnesota since 1949.
📅 Today in History
United States
• 1793 Eli Whitney applies for a cotton gin patent
• 1867 Pres Andrew Johnson announces purchase of Alaska
Minnesota
• Minnesota designated an official state fire museum in 2023.
• The monarch became Minnesota’s state butterfly in 2000.
Benton County
• Sauk Rapids was surveyed and platted in 1854.
• Another influenza outbreak hit Benton County in early 1919.